Lecture on Nikola Tesla

Early Life

• Birth: July 10, 6, 1856, in Smiljan, Lika (Austro-Hungarian empire, now Croatia)
• Parents:
  • Father: Milutin Tesla, Serbian Orthodox Church priest
  • Mother: Djuka Mandic, inventor of household appliances
• Siblings: Dane, Angelina, Milka, Marica

Family Background

• Grandfather: Nikola Tesla, military officer in Napoleonic Wars
• Uncle Josif: Professor of Mathematics
• Mother’s Family:
  • Uncle Nikolai: Archbishop of Sarajevo
  • Uncle Pajo: Colonel in the Austrian army
  • Uncle Trifun: Businessman

Early Influences

• Mother's Inventiveness: Influence on Tesla
• Father’s Library: Rich in religion, mathematics, science
• Childhood Trauma: Death of his brother Dane
• Health: Intense visual images, mental disorders
• Early Experiments: Interest in electricity from stroking cat, plans for flying machines

Education

• Real Gymnasium: Gospić
• Higher Real Gymnasium: Karlovac
• University: Polytechnic School in Graz, Austria (1875)
• Interests: Electricity inspired by physics teacher
• Gambling Habit: Lost entire tuition fund
• Health Crisis: Nearly died but made miraculous recovery

Professional Beginnings

• First Job: American Telephone Company, Budapest
  • Solved rotating magnetic field problem, induction motor explanation
• Paris: Worked for Continental Edison Company

War of the Currents

• Thomas Edison Rivalry: DC vs. AC debate
• Westinghouse Collaboration: Sold patents to George Westinghouse
• Columbian Exposition: Lit up venue entirely with AC
• Niagara Falls Plant: First hydroelectric power plant

Later Innovations

• X-Ray: Early uses of x-ray
• Radio: First concepts and demonstrations of radio technology
• Colorado Springs: Experimented with terrestrial stationary waves

Wardenclyffe Tower

• Communication System: Wireless transmission concept
• Funding Issues: Problems with J.P. Morgan and others
• Financial Problems: Bankruptcy, legal issues, dwindling finances

Later Years

• Health Decline: Poor diet, injuries
• Pigeon Feeding: Eccentric recluse in New York hotels
• Press Conferences: Annual updates on birthday
• Death Beam: Proposed, but failed to gain traction

Death and Legacy

• Death: January 7, 1943
• Funeral: Attended by 2000+ people
• Ashes: Placed in golden sphere at Tesla Museum, Belgrade
• Scientific Impact: Over 700 patents; foundational contributions to modern electricity, AC power, radio technology, wireless communication
• Recognition Today: Tesla Inc., international recognition, influence on modern science
• Romanticized Genius: Seen as an eccentric, ahead of his time inventor who struggled to monetize his innovations

Reflection

• Thomas Edison’s Acknowledgement: Admitted Tesla’s significance despite rivalry
• Long-Term Impact: Today’s widespread use of AC power and influence on modern technology